Opportunities and challenges of implementing collaborative mental health care in post-Katrina New Orleans.

OBJECTIVES To describe participants' experiences with training on, and implementation of, a collaborative care mental health approach for treating depression and anxiety in post-disaster New Orleans. DESIGN Healthcare providers from three organizations that participated in the Mental Health Infrastructure and Training (MHIT) program underwent semi-structured interviews. SETTING The MHIT program provided training and clinical support to community-based agencies. PARTICIPANTS Social workers, care/case managers, primary care providers, and a psychiatrist that participated in trainings. INTERVENTION The MHIT project consisted of a series of trainings and clinical support designed in collaboration with specialists from Tulane University, RAND/UCLA, the University of Washington, and local community organizations with the goal of creating local resources to provide screening, diagnosis, triage, and treatment for depression and anxiety. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Interview participants were asked to describe the impacts of training on the following areas: delivery of mental health services, ability to implement elements of the collaborative care model, care of clients/patients, and development of networks. RESULTS Interview transcript analysis identified themes highlighting the opportunities and challenges of implementing a collaborative care model. CONCLUSION Implementation of a collaborative care model for treating depression and anxiety was possible in post-Katrina/Rita New Orleans and has potential for implementation in future post-disaster recovery settings.